Portable escalator



March 22, 1960 F. CORYELL 2,929,432

PORTABLE ESCALATOR Filed Oct. 9, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet l Floyd 001' all INVEN 0 March 22, 1960 F. CORYELL PORTABLE ESCALATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. '9, 1957 87 Floyd CoryeZZ INVENTOR ATTORNEYS March 22, 1960 F. CORYELL PORTABLE ESCALATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 9, 1957 F20 3 6 CoryeZZ INVENTOR ATTORNEYS March 22, 1960 F. CORYELL PORTABLE ESCALATOR.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 9, 1957 Floyd Urn-yell INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States PORTABLE ESCALATOR Floyd Coryell, Hollywood, Calif.

Application October 9, 1957, Serial No. 689,205

' '5 Claims. (11. 198-16) Still another object of the invention is the provision of.

such a device which is readily steerable, and which may be manipulated and moved from place to place as well as elevated, by a single operator.

Still other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and shown in the accompanying drawings.

- Still another object ofthe invention is the provision of a device which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and eflicient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble and utilize.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds, and shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

I Figure 1 is a side elevational view in schematic form of one form of escalator embodying elements of the instant invention, certain parts thereof being broken away.

Fig. 2 isa side view, partially in elevation, and partially in section,'on an enlarged scale, showing the lower part of the escalator.

, Fig. 2A is a view similar to Fig. 2, but discloses the continuation of Fig. 2 showing the upper part of the escalator.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

, Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 2A as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 5 is atop plan view of a constructional detail taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 as viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view partially in elevation and partially in section, disclosing a further constructional detail.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Having reference now to thedrawings in detail, there is' generally indicated at 20 an escalator embodying the principles of the instant invention, which includes longitudinally extending side frame members 21, a rear cross member 22, and a front cross member 23. Uprights 24 extending from the front or lower end of the device support a fixed platform 25, which provides access to the escalator from the lower side.

A ramp 26, which may include steps, as shown in Fig. 1, is provided for ready access to the lower platform 25.

There is also provided an upper platform, which comprises part of an assembly, which includes a cage or atent (3 goingaround the sprockets 30 and 37, and also any inter- 2,929,482 Patented Mar. 22 1960 ice receptable 28, secured to the upper platform, which contains amotor 29 which is preferably a self-contained electric motor supplied with power from batteries. or other suitable source, and which is adapted to drive a main sprocket 30,- which rotates the movable ramp, to be more fully described hereinafter, by means of a belt 31 which is connected to the drive sprocket 32 of the pulley.

The platform 27 is adapted to be adjusted, in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter, to conform in level to an upper ramp 33, whichmay comprise any suitable element to which it is desired to elevate personnel, luggage or the like, such as the doorway of an airplane.

The element 33 is shown in Fig. 1 in purely schematic form, and may be placed at any desired-upper level within the limits of adjustability of the device.

' The frame 20 is provided on opposite sides with pairs and at its upper end 4!), is pivoted to the channel members in any desired manner. One of links 38 is provided on either side of the device.

A second link 41 is pivoted as at 42 to lower frame member 21, and at its upper point, is pivoted as at'43 to a suitable connection with upper platform 27.

A hydraulic jack 45, suitably provided with fluid from a hydraulic reservoir 46, is pivoted as at 47 to lower frame member 21, and has its piston rod 49 pivoted as at St to the underside of guide channel 36, the arrangement being such that upon actuation .of the hydraulic jack mechanism, the entire platform assembly 27, and its associated mechanism 28, may be raised or lowered as desired.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the sprockets'37 are mounted on a transverse axle 51, which is suitably journaled in the upstanding side members 24 of the frame 20.

The sprocket 30 is also mounted on a transverse axle 52, which is seated in one of the channels 35. A corresponding sprocket 3! seats in the other of the channels.

The ends of axle 52 are suitably journaled in the side portions ofthe housing 28.

Each of channels 35 and 36 contains an endless chain comprised of a plurality of links 55 each of which has an elongated slot 56 therein.

and each step is engaged adjacent its rear end by a pin. 57 riding in the channel 35, and adjacent its front endv by a similar pin riding in the channel 36.

The lower flights of channels 35 and 36 are arranged in parallelism, so that the upper surfaces of steps 60 are substantially parallel, and move as a unit. Howevenin the upper flight, as best shown in Figs; 1, 2 and 2A, the guide channels diverge, in such manner that the steps are tilted to form a series of steps, as shown' in Figs. 2

and 2A. When the guides converge at the top adjacent the platform 27, the tops of the steps 60 are again aligned in parallelism. The arcuate front faces 61 of the steps prevent locking'or binding when the steps are A plurality of pins 57 extend through these slots, and provide means for enand parallelism, or vice versa.

A hand rail support 65 Y is provided on either side of the frame 20, closely adjacent. the sides of the steps 66,; and is provided with an endless belt 66, which passesv over suitable guide rollers 67, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 2A. The endless belt 66 comprising the hand rail is driven by a pulley 68,'mounted on an'axle 70, which is in turn driven by a drive belt 71, froma suitable pulley 72, which is correlated to move in synchronisrn with the drive pulley 3t), theassembly being activated by the mo- -tor 29. The belt passes over an idler pulley 73-mounted on an axle 74 for suitabletensioning, and at its lower end over a second idler pulley 75 mounted on a transverse axle 76. Thus, the hand rail or belt 66 will move synchronously with the movement of the steps 6%.

platform, the heighth of which may be readily adjusted in accordance with'desired conditions.

The device is adapted for ready movement from place to place, and includes a pair of rear wheelsi80, mounted on an axle 81, at least one of which includes a pulley. 82,- engagedby a drive belt 83, which is in turn driven by a pulley 84 carried by the drive shaft of a suitable electric motor 85, which may be mounted in suitable. journals 86 carried by the lower frame members" 21.

Suitable front wheels 87 swivelly mounted as on pivots 88 (see Fig. 5), are interconnected in conventional manner, and controlled by a steering rod 89, which'in turn may be controlled from any desired source, to guide the direction of movement of the escalator;

From the foregoing," it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved portable escalator, which is power-driven from place to place, which is readily steerable, in which power means are provided for moving the escalator steps, as well as the corresponding'hand rail,

and inwhich means are provided for'varying the relative.

height'of the upper end of the escalator, in order to asaelges:

accommodate varying heights of reception platforms, or.

the like.

It will alsobe seen that there is herein provided a device which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense,

7 What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a portable escalator, the combination of a wheeled steerable frame, an upper platform, a lower platform, upper and lower contacting guide channels carried by said frame, transverse bars extending into said guide channels, Wide rectangular escalator steps carried by said bars, means connecting said steps to form an endless escalator, power means for driving said escalator In a' portable escalator, the combination of. a; wheeled steerable frame, an upper platform, a lower platform, upper and lower contacting guide channels carried by said frame, transverse bars' e'xtending, into said guide channel's, escalator steps carried by said bars, means,

connecting said steps to form an endless escalator, power means for driving said escalatorand means for varying.

the rotative height 'of said upper platform relative to] said lower platform, said channels varying in inclination to conform to said variation in height of said upper platform'and hence varying the -angle of inclination of" I said. escalator, upper and lo wer parallel channels, said channels being juxtaposed along their lower flight and separated along their upper flight, there being a pair of spaced bars for each step, said pairs'being positioned to align the surfaces .of said steps when said guide channels are juxtaposed and movable to a position to separate the surfaces of said steps when, said channels are sepa- 3. Ina portable escalator, the combination of a wheeled steerable frame, an upper platform, a lower platform, endless guide channels carried by'said frame, transverse bars extending into said guide channels, escalator steps carried by said bars, means pivotally connecting said steps to form an endless escalator, power means for driving said escalator and means for varying the rotative height of said upper platform relative to said lower platform, said channels varying in inclination to conform to said variation in Y height of said upper platform and hence varying the angle of inclination of said escalator, said guide channels comprising upper and lower parallel channels juxtaposed along their lower flight and separated along their upper flight, there being a pair of spaced bars for each step, said pairs being positioned to align the surfaces of said steps when said guide channels are juxtaposed and movable to a position toseparate the surfaces of said steps when said channels are separated, said steps having arcuate outward ly concaved front surfaces to prevent binding of 'said steps. a

4. In a'portable escalator, the combination of a wheeled steerable frame, an upper platform, a lower platform, endless guide channels carried by said frame, transverse bars extending into said guide channels, escalator steps car ried by said bars, means connecting said steps to form an endless escalator, power means for driving said escalator, means for varying the rotative height of said upper platform relative to said lowerplatform, said channels varying in inclination to conform to said variation in height of said upper platform and hence varying the angle of inclination of said escalator, said guide channels comprising upper and lower parallel-channels juxtaposed along their lower flight and separated along their upper flight, there being a pair of spaced barsfor each step, said pairs of spaced bars being positioned to align the surfaces of said steps when said guide channels are jux toposed and movable to a position to separate the surfaces of said steps when said channels are moved'vertiposite corners of said steps, the ends of one of said rods of each step operating in the upper guide channel, the

ends of the other rods of the steps operating in the lower channelsin advance of said first mentioned rods, means;

for operating said endless escalator, and means for adjustframe and platforms;

ing saidchannel members-vertically with'respectto said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS' D. l47;,745;- Dorrler Oct. 28, 1947 2,164,327 Hawkins July 4, 1939 2,362,170 Swaisgood Nov. 7, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,774 Great Britain Nov.1 8, 1 909.

" 521,121 Belgium July' 31, 1953 v a-n 

